Your Classical Guitar Input Here

numbered positions

(Ohio USA)

I don't know if this question is related to all guitar playing or only classical playing. I am just learning and I would like to know what the 2nd 3rd 5th and 7th positions refer to and how it is accomplished.

Thanks
Gary Buzza

Hi Gary,

This answer to that question is actually quite simple and it does indeed cover all guitars. It just means from which fret on the guitar you start and what notes or other frets are "covered" by your fingers.

In other words, if your first finger starts at the F# on the second fret of the first string, the rest of the 2nd position includes G on the third fret (your 2nd finger), the G# on the 4th fret (your 3rd finger) and the A on the 5th fret (your little or 4th finger).

If you start at the 5th position i.e. the A note on the first string 5th fret the "5th position" would include all the notes from the 5th to the 8th fret.

If you start at the 7th position on the first string i.e. the B note, the "7th position" would include all the notes from the 7th to the 10th frets i.e. B, C, C#, D notes.

The 1st position is obviously then the first 4 frets on the guitar. You could also extend that knowledge to include all 6 strings vertically of course.

This is how many guitarists learn the notes of the guitar neck i.e. breaking it up into positions and memorising the notes by rote.

I hope this has made things a little clearer.

Kind regards,
Trevor M.